Social Development Minister Dina Pule has expressed concern over the large numbers of South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) beneficiaries queuing at offices to access their monthly grants.
Pule was conducting an oversight visit at SASSA offices in Khayelitsha and Bellville in Cape Town on Thursday, where she engaged with officials and beneficiaries about challenges affecting the grant system.
The minister said the large crowds at the Khayelitsha office highlighted the significant demand for SASSA services and social grants.
“In Khayelitsha, you have seen the number of people that are there. I was also overwhelmed myself with the numbers there and what it means for us,” Pule said.
She said the situation demonstrated the extent of demand for SASSA's services, particularly among people who rely on social grants for their livelihoods.
Meanwhile, thousands of social grant beneficiaries in the Northern Cape recently experienced payment disruptions after failing to comply with SASSA's annual review process.
SASSA withheld payments to more than 7,000 beneficiaries who did not make themselves available for the mandatory annual grant review.
The review process is intended to establish whether beneficiaries continue to meet the requirements for receiving social assistance.
Affected beneficiaries have been urged to update their personal information and complete the required verification process to avoid further disruptions to their payments.
The department says ensuring beneficiary details remain up to date is essential to maintaining an efficient and reliable social grant system.